The design and use of faucets having pull-out sprayer hoses for kitchen sinks and bathroom lavatories is well-known in the art. In a conventional hot and cold water installation, the faucet comprises a housing containing a mixing valve, a pull-out spray head, and a flexible connector hose with end connectors on either end for attachment to an outlet port on the mixing valve and to an inlet port of the spray head. An example of a prior art pull-out faucet and hose assembly is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,978.
One of the problems with prior art hoses for pull-out faucets has been the inability to comply with the materials requirements of the National Sanitation Foundation Standard 61 ("NSF61"), for dispensing devices for potable water. A long-standing problem with prior art hoses occurs when the pressure on the hose is released by closing the mixing valve. Prior art hoses "dribble" water out of the outlet end because the tubing inside the connector hose has expanded like a balloon to fill the voids between the tube and the outer jacket. This problem increases with the age of the hose. Another problem encountered by prior art hoses and end connectors involves "blow offs" wherein the end connector is blown off the end of the hose when the hose is under supply line pressure. Additionally, many prior art end connectors leak on the inlet or outlet end of the hose. As discussed below, the pull-out hose assembly of the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of prior art pull-out hose assemblies.